


when you're ready, come find me

by Crimson_Voices



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Female Protagonist, Gen, Megatron is an odd fellow, Robot/Human Relationships, Scars, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Spark Mates, Sparkmates, The universe is a douche, based on TFP S1 Ep19 Rock Bottom, based on a maladaptive daydream i had once, mc is tired of this crap, no beta we die like men, soul mates, third person, will add more characters as it goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28909737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crimson_Voices/pseuds/Crimson_Voices
Summary: A name. A phrase. A symbol.The mark of a soulmate could be anything, and some people wait their whole lives for their soulmate to heed its call. Enter our protagonist Ava, who’s soul is inexplicably connected to Decepticon warlord Megatron in a curious tale of confusion, revelations, and rebirths. While the human woman must learn to adjust to her newfound circumstances, Megatron learns to accept that there was more to this human than meets the eye…...and that his past mistakes would come to haunt him in an unexpected fashion.
Relationships: Decepticons (Transformers)/Original Character(s), Decepticons (Transformers)/Original Female Character(s), Megatron (Transformers)/Original Character(s), Megatron (Transformers)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 25





	1. Monachopsis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Main character gets caught up in a rocky situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT:: I rewrote a lot of the chapter. I like this version a lot better cause if gives the MC some more depth
> 
> "My first ever fanfiction, please go easy on me. This is entirely based on a maladaptive daydream I had a couple months ago that latched onto an old Transformers oc I had. I hope to update asap." - Crimson

September 17th, 20**.

She remembered it well; her frightened classmates crowding her peripheral vision, the teacher’s voice trembling as she frantically called the ambulance, doctors fussing over her and rushing the poor girl through the halls of the hospital.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened.

Ava Andromeda Moore’s condition was rare, cases of sudden and inexplicable hemorrhages being scarce in number. Rarer still was the amount of blood lost in the process.

But she wasn’t ill. In fact, her physicians often remarked on the near perfection of her health during check-ups and physicals. Even her dentist was impressed. But the issue was never a matter of her physical health. This went beyond physical.

Every human received the mark of their soul mate at some point in their lives; everyone knew that. For Ava, though, she had not remembered a time without hers. So, when on her 7th birthday she was admitted to the hospital for a gory wound on her side that seemed to materialize out of thin air, she was befuddled to find it had changed.

September 17th, 20** was the second time this had happened. The pain was more bearable this time, but the scar it left was like that of a branding iron. It took the shape of her strange new soul mark, which she made a point to document. The young woman had been doodling sketches of her mark whenever she could so she wouldn’t forget how it looked in case it changed again.

The first, D.16. Like a book code.

The second, Megatronus. Sounded like a name.

Finally, the latest addition, which resembled a sharply angled mask.

Every now and then, her mark would send a twinge down her leg and up her arm, but she got used to it after the third time. That’s not to say it wasn’t confusing and irritating, being the only one of her peers to live with the fact that her mark might twist in some gruesome fashion again. Was she really the only one in the world dealing with this? The Universe sure had a funny way of screwing with people, that was for sure. Clearly, whomever the symbols and names were connected to required her attention.

Well, they had it. 13 years of her undivided attention.

In an effort to understand the origin of her peculiar soul mark, she’d devote herself to researching its design. If it were a business logo, family crest, or an actual mask, she’d find it – even if she had to sacrifice sleep for it. In the first 3 years, she’d find virtually nothing of relevance. But in the decade to follow, there was a sudden boom in information; conspiracy websites filled to the brim with images of ghost vehicles with the strange insignia, archeological finds revealing ancient texts that made mention of giant metal automatons wearing that familiar symbol. There was picture upon picture of that mask, the one branded to her side all those years ago.

But just as she hit the motherload of truths, it was swiftly ripped from her grasp. The websites, dig sites, independent finds – all gone.

The young woman’s displeasure with the situation did not go unnoticed, however, and she was basically strong-armed into telling her small group of (misfits) friends what was going on. One of them, the more rambunctious one, insisted it was some government-funded nonsense.

Whether she was right or wrong, it didn’t change the fact that she felt the last 13 years of her life had gone to waste. But maybe it was better this way. If trying to find whoever was indirectly torturing her was only going to result in failure, then why bother trying?

She needed a break anyhow. With some support from her ragtag group of friends, Ava eventually learned to step away from all of it and relax for a change. Most days, when she wasn’t working, she was sitting in her room engrossed in whatever novel happened to catch her eye that day. Today was her day off – time to catch up on the latest edition of _Headmasters: Revenge of the Moon._

**_“Andromeda.”_ **

She jolted in her chair, turning her head to look around the room. It was quiet. Nothing had moved, and no one but her was present. _I don’t remember my medication giving me voices,_ she thought to herself. Ava returned to her book.

**_“Andromeda.”_ **

Once again, the voice spoke to her. But as she stood up from her seat, a shot of pain radiated from her hip to her shoulder. The woman gripped her side and doubled over, her novel dropping to the wood floor with a thump. She groaned. _Not this again._ But this time, instead of blood, her mark emitted a dull violet light. _What now?_

**_“Go to him.”_ **

_To whom exactly? Who even were you?_ She figured debating with the disembodied voice would just prove a waste of time. Though her side ached and she was not interested in travelling, the raging heat cascading down her right arm and leg was enough motivation to concede. “If I go… will you stop hurting me?”

**_“…”_ **

The voice chose not to respond, but the pain did subside, and Ava let out a ragged breath like she’d been held underwater. Jaw clenched in dissatisfaction, the woman began grumbling to herself. “I just got over this crap.” Briefly, she eyed the dented novel on the floor. Her gaze slowly moved between the newly opened book and the door to her room. As nice as staying home to finish her novel sounded, the idea of finally burying this hatchet started to feel more important than relaxation.

“And how exactly do I find this person?”

**_“…”_ **

Ava rolled her eyes. Fine, I’ll figure it out myself. _The sooner I can move on with my life, the better._ Shifting her weight between her feet allowed her to balance out again, fully unwinding from her uncomfortable folded position. Though she didn’t move especially rushed, she made sure she was prepared to meet the “him” in question; a simple outfit, her old worn pack full of her usual necessities, and a fully charged phone. Good. Now she could leave

“I really hope you’re worth all this trouble, whoever you are.”

It was a hot sunny day in Las Vegas, NV, but Ava felt she would be fine as long she was in a shaded area. Ava still wasn’t a huge fan of the outdoors unless she had to be there. Like the times when her friends insisted on dragging her on their getaway vacations. Those times were nice at least.

But she was alone today, and now in the middle of nowhere. Almost two hours of driving was taking its toll, especially when her A/C began to sputter, and the midday heat was turning her hand-me-down truck into an Easy Bake Oven. She took a mental note of it. _Get the A/C fixed when I get home._ At least she made the right call leaving on a full tank of gasoline. Hopefully, her mark was guiding her way right now. Otherwise, she would just be driving with no destination in sight.

**_“Stop.”_ **

Ava nearly screeched to a halt. Peeling her boot away from the brake pedal, she let out an exasperated sigh. “Not in the middle of the highway. I’ll find a spot to park,” the woman huffed, fortunately finding a truck stop to settle into nearby. This area wasn’t the most comfortable place she’d been, but at least it was mostly empty save for the occasional commercial truck driver making a pitstop.

**_“There.”_ **

Heeding the voice, she turned to stare into the yawning mouth of the forest before her. She didn’t know much about this kind of terrain, but it was a good thing she packed some water. There seemed to be a long walk in store for her. “No time like the present…” she sighed, pressing onwards. _I might have some choice words for him, dragging me out here._

After about 20 minutes of walking through woods and rocky pathways alike, she’d finally stumbled across what looked like an abandoned mine. But it was huge, and it had zero scaffolding or support beams of any kind. This place was a death trap waiting to happen. However, the glow of her mark beckoned her forwards.

“This all better be worth it,” she repeated over and over again.

The tall walls of the mine shaft made her feel uncomfortably small. Ava was by no means a tiny woman, but she wasn’t especially large either; the menacingly wide tunnels only accentuated that fact the further she went in. Even so, it was stifling in here. The air was full of particulate and the deathly silence reminded her that she was here alone with no way to protect herself, should something happen.

As her mind wandered the seemingly endless tunnels without her, she began to feel apprehension. What would someone even be doing in an old abandoned mine shaft? It was dark the further down you’d go, and the light from the entryway had already begun to dim exponentially. Maybe it was time to turn back-

_“Indulge me, Starscream. Won’t you?”_

Ava paused mid step. A voice that wasn’t hers just sounded off at the entrance to the mine. Quickly, she rushed for cover and found purchase behind a tower of rock. While she was expecting _someone_ to be here, she had to be sure they were who she was looking for.

**_“Wait.”_ **

At least the voice was finally on the same page this time. A heavy thud sounded, followed by another, and yet another. Footsteps, but way too big to be human footsteps, and it sounded like there were two sets. The young woman’s heartbeat rose as the steps grew close. A bit too close for her liking. The ground shook and trembled as the owners of the impressively heavy footsteps neared her location.

She looked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monachopsis
> 
> n. the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place, as maladapted to your surroundings as a seal on a beach—lumbering, clumsy, easily distracted, huddled in the company of other misfits, unable to recognize the ambient roar of your intended habitat, in which you’d be fluidly, brilliantly, effortlessly at home.


	2. We All Fall Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events of Starscream's near execution from Andromeda's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT:: Rewrote this chapter as well. Took the advice of one of my commenters and found I didn't really like the first draft.
> 
> "Sorry if this seems a little boring. Things needed to transpire and context given in order for the juicy bits to make sense later." - Crimson

Ava’s breath hitched.

Wide eyes dared to trace upwards and take in the sight before her, leaving her still and hushed. Two massive titans, one smaller than the other and made entirely of metal, sauntered towards the rocky tunnel systems ahead. _Did they see me?_

If they had, they didn’t acknowledge her presence as they continued onwards. Enormous feet and wide gaits allowed them to clear this tunnel’s length in mere seconds. The sheer size of them was impressive; they had to be a least 2-3 stories tall! Once they had passed her completely, she gambled a sigh of relief. Just to be sure, she looked up.

They were still walking.

_Okay, good. Good. Now to get out of here-_

**_“Follow.”_ **

Ava cringed. “ _You can’t be serious,”_ she muttered under her breath.

**_“Follow.”_ **

There was no way she was following two metal colossi down into the belly of this mine. Just being here was stupid enough, but following them? It was borderline imbecilic, suicide even! What if they discovered her? What if they were hostile and wouldn’t think twice about splattering her against the walls of the mine shaft? _Absolutely not, no. I’m leaving._

**_“FOLLOW.”_ **

No matter how her better judgement tried to reason with her to turn tail and run back to her truck, the mark at her side beckoned her forwards once more. Firmer this time. It didn’t yell, but it conveyed the instructions quite plainly.

 _“Oh, to hell with it…”_ she grumbled to herself. Ava felt her body finally unlock and slouch forwards. After taking a moment to breathe again, she’d quickly dig into her pocket to grab her phone. She’d nearly dropped the thing trying. She’d turned on the video recorder and shoved the device into the breast pocket of her shirt.

_“What on Earth am I doing?”_

Swallowing whatever fear that had rose in her throat, the young woman took a deep breath and slowly stepped away from her stone haven. As she got closer and closer to where the two titans were, she’d slow and take shelter behind another wall. The last thing she needed was to be caught.

She trailed the pair for several minutes, taking mental notes of both. The one in back was thin with broad shoulders, an angular silhouette, and stiletto heels that’d make Christian Louboutin and Valentino Garavani cry. Despite his size, he was light on his feet. It was like they didn’t touch the ground much. That would explain the wing like protrusions on his back.

But the one in front was a sharp contrast.

Even when compared to the smaller of the pair, he was gigantic. His very stride oozed a confidence that both commanded and demanded respect. A nearly pristine silver finish despite the rocky terrain, and the subtle purple accents were a nice touch. His silhouette reminded her of a suit of armor; bulky but efficient, with a near impenetrable hide. No doubt this guy was a fighter.

 _Huh… weird,_ she mused silently. It was unlike her to notice this much detail in any one person, especially with flowery language like “pristine” and “oozed confidence.” Ava settled on worrying about it later. They were turning towards a clearing.

**_“Stop.”_ **

The woman paused, quickly scrambling to cover to avoid detection. Though the spot she picked was fairly out of sight, part of her (perhaps the irrational side) urged her to eavesdrop on the conversation as she peeked her head out to get a better look. From the looks of it, there were enormous drillers on the other side of the clearing. If these guys were using it, that’d explain the size.

_“How intriguing,”_ the larger giant noted, his tone laced in venom.

The smaller giant recoiled with a nervous chitter. He looked afraid, if only for a moment. The once nervous chuckle quickly shifted into a low growl as his metal plating bristled. Ava could hear the sound of rattling metal from her hiding place, even from this distance. And although she hadn’t the pleasure of knowing any giant talking robots personally, she knew an artificial reaction when she saw one. But she didn’t have any context here; only these two knew what the heck was going on and she wasn’t about to ask for the rundown.

_“Incompetent fools! This mining equipment should’ve been relocated!”_ the smaller giant fumed… in an awfully scripted manner, Ava would note.

_Mining equipment, a giant mine, and no scaffolding or beams. Now it makes sense. If these guys made this mine, they wouldn’t need the supports or step ladders. They were huge enough to strip this mine from top to bottom._ The young woman made a mental note of yet another thing. Now wasn’t really a good time to whip out her notebook to record her thoughts.

But her mark was beginning to glow, accompanied by an uneasiness. But not the kind of uneasiness expected from being in the presence of giants. The irritable restlessness of being annoyed. That feeling that rose up her neck when that red-necked jerk slammed into the back of her truck a month ago, or when she had to choke down the urge to sucker punch her 7th grade bully. That feeling.

_“Why is it still here?!”_

_“A most valid question.”_

_You already know what’s going on, don’t you? Why else would you bring him here?_ She couldn’t help but be reminded of her parents. Whenever she got in to trouble as a youth, they’d feign ignorance to see if she’d tell the truth of her own accord. If that didn’t happen, she would be punished for lying. _If he’s smart, he’ll just be straight about it._

_“My apologies, master. I believe Soundwave was in charge of coordinating transport,”_ the smaller giant replied.

_Of all the things you could have said here, you chose to shift the blame_ , she thought to herself. This guy already irritated her. At least, she _felt_ irritated. That simmering rage in the back of her neck was definitely there, but it was so foreign. Ava had never met this giant before, as far as she knew, so she didn’t really have a _reason_ to be this angry.

If he wasn’t going to take accountability for his actions, that was one thing, but he’d still have to deal with the consequences. The young woman didn’t know where these beings came from, but that’s how things worked here on Earth. _In theory, that is._ But this wasn’t her decision to make.

By the sound of that snarl, it was definitely **_his._**

****

_“But, in fairness, during your interstellar travels, we all had to assume additional responsibilities! Clearly, mistakes were made!”_

_Interstellar? Space travel? So, they’re giant **alien** robots? _Now, Ava had definitely seen everything, and this guy was still trying to make excuses for what he did. _This is so childish, honestly. You made the mistake, own up to it.”_

_“Yes. **Clearly** ,” _the larger one hissed, seemingly echoing Ava’s thoughts on this. Before she could remark on it, however, the giant would reel back his massive arm and, in a swift movement, pierced it into the wall of rock beside him.

The sudden noise caused her to jump slightly, the woman watching in awe as the giant pulled a luminescent blue cluster from the gaping hole he had created. _W-wow. What is that? Is that what they were mining for?_

_“Every last trace of energon extracted?”_ the giant said.

_So that must’ve been what the commotion was about. The little one gave a false report_ , the young woman mused. The pieces were falling together pretty easily now. From what she could conclude, the one with wings had just royally screwed up and, from the looks of it, this wasn’t the first time. Anger radiated off of the larger giant like toxic fumes, thickening the air and making it hard to breathe. _Play your cards carefully, you’re on very thin ice._

_“Lord Megatron, I can explain - “_

_“Explain what? That you’d been hoarding a supply of energon for your personal use?”_

Energon was starting to sound like an important commodity. It felt less and less like a jewel and more like a resource. _Wait, did he say his name was Megatron? That sounds just like-_

**THUMP.**

Her thoughts were cut off again as the sound of the “energon” cluster unceremoniously plummeted to the ground. Megatron’s rage was now overflowing like molten lava from a raging volcano, and Ava was beginning to feel like she was a bit too close to him. It was beginning to give her a nasty headache and she’d begun clenching her jaw while a withering scowl reached her brow.

_“No! Not exactly. You see, I - “_

_Here it comes,_ she grimaced. There was a loud **CRUNCH** as Megatron pulverized the crystal with one foot.

_“DO NOT TAKE ME FOR A **FOOL** , STARSCREAM!” _Megatron roared in response.

Ava recoiled from the outburst, but not nearly as bad as “Starscream” did. He was left a stammering, speechless infant with a single shout. What could he possibly say at this point? He was caught red handed. Starscream had been backed into a corner with nowhere left to run, literally caught between a rock and a hard place.

_“I have been wise to your transgressions from the beginning. Not only did you pluck the dark energon from my chest in a failed attempt to snuff my spark, but you tried to raise your own undead warrior with it! It’s no secret that you lost an arm in the process, which you’ve since had replaced!”_

_“You know about that?!”_

Ava blinked. It was too much for her to process all at once. First, she had no idea what they meant by a “spark.” Then the issue of trying to raise the dead using energon; _how was that even possible?_ And, to top it all off, this “Starscream” lost an arm trying. _Good lord, what hasn’t this man done? What have you gotten me into this time, soul mark?!_

This Starscream guy has a whole rap sheet of things he’d done and Megatron knew about it all. It’s as if Starscream was trying to be caught. But by the way he was nervously twitching after his master laid his business bare, he was just terrible at covering up his tracks.

_“Soundwave is quite competent at surveillance, I can assure you.”_

The second time this “Soundwave” individual had been mentioned. She took a mental note of that.

_“The fact is, Starscream, despite your treachery, I have allowed you to carry on this long because I took a certain delight in following your string of failures. But you’ve finally become tiresome, predictable._

_You’ve hit **ROCK BOTTOM**.”_

Swiftly, Megatron moved his right arm to face Starscream. A high-pitched charging noise reverberated off the walls, the barrel-like appendage attached to his arm beginning to glow fiercely. _Is that a cannon?_

Now she understood. Like a predator cornering their prey, Megatron had lured Starscream into a trap with no way out. And for one distinct reason. This wasn’t just an exposition.

_“Master, please! Give me one more chance! I beg of you!”_ Starscream squealed, dropping to the ground. His body rattled and shook in undeniable fear.

_“You have ceased to be of use to me, Starscream. So, you shall simply cease to be.”_

_This was an **execution.**_

Andromeda bristled at the thought. Just like that, she was about to witness **_cold blooded murder_**. This was _not_ how today was meant to go. This was the _worst_ possible outcome, besides being on the receiving end of the blast instead of the cowering Starscream. Though she could feel Megatron’s rage, and though she could rationalize why he’d feel this was the only solution to his _problem_ , this _had_ to be wholly unnecessary! It was against her nature to let this happen. But what could she do but watch?

Suddenly, there were footsteps approaching. Lighter ones, soft on the solid ground.

Taking her eyes away from the silver giants, she looked towards the direction of the new sound. To her surprise, a young boy no older than his mid-teens was casually meandering through the tunnels parallel to the clearing. At his rear, there was yet another giant metal being but with feminine features, a little smaller than Starscream. _There’s more of them? And what is a child doing here? It’s too dangerous!_

She wanted to tell them to turn back. She wanted to get out of here herself. But if she blew her cover, it would most definitely be the end for all 3 of them, Starscream being the 4th to perish. Whatever decision the young woman may have come to by the time the two newcomers reached the clearing, it was already too late to act on it.

Starscream had spotted them. Worse yet, _Megatron_ had spotted them. Fear was written all over the young boy’s face, and indignation across the giantess’ - they knew each other, but if their expressions were any tell, they were not friends. Not one bit.

As expected, the armed giant was not pleased with the newcomers. He quickly shifted his attention from his treacherous underling with a snarl and a step towards them, unleashing the unbridled power of his weapon. Blasts of blue energy ripped through the air like incendiaries and trained onto the teen. Before they could connect, however, the blue giantess quickly moved him to cover.

 _Good catch,_ Ava sighed with relief, only to bristle once she heard Starscream’s loud exit… _in her direction._

_“STARSCREAM, **YOU DARE ABANDON ME?!”**_

_Oh no._

With that, he’d send a charged shot at the cowardly runaway – just narrowly missing the young woman’s cover. She had to stop herself from letting out a yelp to avoid drawing attention to herself, but that was too close for comfort. While it just narrowly missed Starscream, the ground had begun to shake, and the ceiling was coming loose. Megatron’s rage filled shots were wrecking the structural integrity of the mine as a whole.

 _I need to get the heck out of here,_ she concluded, quickly turning to leave. But a bullseye shot from the giantess to Megatron’s arm cannon sent a misfired blast sky-high, shattering the rocky ceiling and burying him in debris. However, this meant the whole ceiling was coming down – on all of them.

The impact of stone against stone had caused the mine’s floor to give out. Ava had to move fast if she had any hope of escaping. Falling rock flooded her vision until she couldn’t see her way out and miscalculated a step onto broken ground. Her footing gave way, and her heart sunk like an anchor.

She was falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around for chapter 2! Chapter 3 will be up asap.


	3. Opia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A bit of a long chapter, a lot happens. Thanks for waiting." - Crimson

_The sky painted in violet and crimson haze._

_Mist resting upon the glowing horizon._

_A bottomless expanse of still glass waters._

_She glances down, weary eyes staring into the abyss beneath._

_And the abyss stared back._

* * *

Amber eyes flashed open, Ava jolting up and gasping for air. Her rapacious attempt at filling her lungs only ended in an intense coughing fit, stone dust and dirt having settled uncomfortably in her nostrils and coating her throat in particulate.

She sneezed once.

Twice.

Three times in a row.

The rippling pain coursing through her body was an unwelcome reminder of her current situation. She was still in the mine and had been plunged into its craggy depths even further by tempestuous giants. It didn’t help that the only thing to break her fall was even more rock. Ava found herself fortunate to not have broken something, but she’d definitely have a nasty bruise later.

Dusted lashes fluttered as she tried to take in her surroundings. It was almost impossible to see down here, the darkness thick enough to cut with a knife. Ava was not afraid of the dark, or even what you might find in it, even if what you might find is a bloodthirsty alien robot. A way out of this place was more important than aliens right now.

She felt around the ground beside her. Her old pack must have fallen nearby; it was on her back when she’d sunk through the fractured ground. Though the young woman could easily replace its contents, she had to hope that finding it would help her get out of here.

Mindful of her footing, Ava got up from her place on the cold hard ground and dusted herself off. The woman’s joints creaked as she moved. _How long was I laying there?_ The dwindling oxygen levels made it hard to think. It wouldn’t be long before it ran out entirely. Then the real horror would begin.

_I have to focus on getting out of here._

Taking one last deep breath, Ava turned around and began feeling along the perimeter of her stone prison. Finding her backpack was priority one.

Thinking on her predicament, the woman shook her head. Considering what she’d just gone through, it was probably smart to have come alone. If she’d brought her friends along and they got hurt, or worse, Ava would never forgive herself.

_To be honest, I don’t think I told them I left. Hope they’re not worrying about me again_ , she mused silently to herself. _If I can just find my phone, I can let them know where I am_. _Let’s just hope giant alien mines come with cell service._

_Where is my phone anyways?_

Her hands lifted and patted along her body. It wasn’t in her pants pockets, nor the back pocket. A soft pat at her chest revealed the phone in her shirt pocket, Ava pulling the device from its hiding place. The screen was dim, just barely hanging on to 15% battery life.

An error message, stating that the video was too long and would be cut to save space, flashed across the screen. In all that chaos, the young woman had all but forgotten she was recording everything. That would explain the low battery. It was fully charged at the beginning of this venture.

She’d considered calling for help, but there was a very low chance of catching a signal. _Better to save the last of the battery for when I get out of here. I’ll need to call them._

Then she thought about it some more. _“When”_ was starting to feel more like an _“if”_ with each minute spent alone in the dark.

Ava wasn’t usually a pessimist, but she wasn’t an optimist either. Truth is, the situation was bleak. The chances of her dying down here due to lack of oxygen or an encounter with the automatons from earlier were high, and that was just a fact. Reality was often disappointing.

Raising her voice to call for help was out of the question. Who exactly would come to rescue her? Megatron and Starscream didn’t seem the type, and the newcomers hadn’t even seen her. Neither pair were likely to even know Ava was there. Yelling would just be a waste of air anyways. Now was usually when people would pray for a miracle.

**_“Andromeda.”_ **

As if on cue, the disembodied voice had called out to her again. The young woman felt a chill up her spine, but at least it wasn’t the usual burning sensation. Her mark shone in the dark, a steady glow filtering through her shirt fabric. Looking to inspect it, Ava’s attention was caught by a steady humming noise.

It was getting louder. The hum became a whir, accompanied by the sound of tumbling rocks. Where was that noise coming from? The closer the noise sounded, the more the ground began to tremble until a portion of the wall beside her toppled over. Light from the new opening pushed away the darkness, revealing another tunnel.

Stepping out of the cave was a little difficult, given the loose stones and pebbles messing with her footing. This tunnel was newly made, if all the stone dust residue and tread marks were any indication.

_That’s right, there was mining equipment left behind earlier. Maybe someone got a hold of it and is digging their way out. If I follow the path, I might find a way out of here._

Though the desire for instant gratification was there, Ava thought it best to walk instead of running headlong in what might very well be another giant. Besides that, the air was chock full of dust and her throat was still sore from coughing earlier.

It was slow going, but at least she was getting _somewhere_ this time. It would be a while before she caught up to the driller, finding no giant, but the teenage boy from before the mine collapsed. _Smart kid. When did he learn to use alien tech?_

_“I suppose helping those less fortunate would be completely out of the question.”_

Ava recognized that voice almost immediately. Just moments ago, it had sentenced a treacherous underling to death with ruthless abandon. But even still, to hear someone - _anyone’s -_ voice was a relief. She wasn’t alone down here; there were others in the same predicament.

But it would stand to reason that this kid wasn’t expecting to find Megatron. The boy was most likely looking for the sleek blue giantess he came with but found the one who nearly murdered him instead. Regardless, if either group had a means of escape, it would be in her best interest to tag along. Preferably without being seen.

_“If that is the case, you might as well use that drill to finish me. I guarantee you will never have a better opportunity than right_ now.”

Despite his bravado, Megatron was obviously no fool. In this situation, the boy on the drill had all the power. He could either help or kill him, the latter seeming more likely. After all, this kid was milliseconds from being worm food because of him. And now, Megatron was stuck in a stone prison with no way out. It was almost too perfect a chance. _Will he actually do it, though?_ The child hesitated, like he was weighing his options.

_“Well? What are you waiting for? Think of the glory! Seize the day! Optimus would,”_ Megatron goaded.

_“No, he wouldn’t. Not like this,”_ the boy said in retort, turning his back to the trapped giant.

Ava cocked a brow. Impressive. For someone so young, he seemed to have a healthy sense of justice, even when the perfect opportunity was presented to him on a silver platter. Whoever this Optimus was, he obviously had an effect on the boy. Now back behind the levers of his drill, it seemed the boy had fully decided to leave the metal man here and go on his way.

_“I’ll be sure to share the details of our little conversation with Optimus **the day I rip out his spark!”**_

_Big talk for a guy_ without _a drill._ This Megatron had all the confidence in the world, it seemed, though he probably had a reason for it. From the two interactions she had watched between him and someone else, he was most likely used to getting his way. Megatron was a master, with subordinates who _usually_ followed his commands, Starscream being the exception not the rule.

But now, some brat brushed him off and turned his back to him. I guess even giant alien robots from outer space could also get their egos damaged. Even so, the giant did try to make use of the newly made tunnel the child had provided. But, despite his efforts, he struggled.

**_“Help.”_ **

_Help? Help who, Megatron?_ This had to be some sick joke. That’s it, had to be. Ava figured this had to be some convoluted attempt at a prank that only the Universe knew about. It’d be funny if it weren’t so painfully obvious that wasn’t the case.

She’d driven many miles in the blazing son at the decree of her mark. She had walked into a dark and dangerous mine shaft alone, forced to follow two enormous alien robots and almost witness an execution at its call. And now, buried beneath the rubble of the fallen mine, she was being told to rescue her would-be murderer? _If you wanted me dead, you could’ve just killed me years ago and saved me the trouble._

Ava had every reason to be pissed off by this series of unfortunate events, but she did her best to remain calm. As before, she’d refuse and walk in the opposite direction. _Maybe I can catch up with that kid before he gets too far away._

**_“HELP.”_ **

****

White-hot agony ripped through her body again, bringing her to her knees. The woman choked down her tears and screams the best she could, trying to regulate her breathing. Reality sank its teeth into her the moment the young woman tried to defy her fate and, for the first time in her life, she couldn’t suppress an emotional response.

It wasn’t fair.

No one shared her affliction, the overwhelming sense of anguish that came with her mark. It was demanding and torturous, tearing away any sense of normality she might have had during her childhood onwards. Even her friends, though they meant well, could not understand what it felt like being afraid of their marks twisting in a bloody fashion.

To have to take medications to suppress daily pain.

The strangeness of her dreams.

13 years of her life sacrificed to find a cure for her predicament, and when she’d finally given up on it to relax for a change, the poor woman was thrown right back into the unforgiving claws of fate. Ava began wishing she hadn’t wasted all that time. Then maybe she could have had a life worth living.

_If I just get this over with, maybe the pain will stop,_ she thought to herself. Any hope that this could finally be over was worth taking a risk for, even if it meant it would truly be _over_ for her _._

Her breathing picked up again. Slowly, tentatively, the woman crept from her hiding place. Moving to the edge of the new tunnel, she paused, placing a hand on a stone lodged in the wall which caused it to give slightly. _Maybe if I just…_

Mustering up some upper body strength, Ava would force the hunk of stone from its place, causing part of the wall to tumble downwards. Though she just narrowly avoided losing her foot to the mini avalanche, it was a small victory.

Again, she’d push more stones out of the way, even lifting a few. With the help of gravity and domino effect, she’d single handedly managed to topple over a portion of the obstructing wall.

Just as she attempted to grab onto another stone, a sudden CRASH rang in he ears, shaking the ground beneath. A resulting tremor cracked the wall, causing it to crumble all around her. Ava quickly moved out of the way to avoid the onslaught of rock headed her way.

A stray rock flew out and hit the back of her calf, sending her to the ground and knocking the wind out of her lungs. Her vision went dark for several seconds, lungs struggling to gasp for air. The young woman was barely given a moment to collect herself as the sound of rock scraping metal echoed behind her. The earth shook, Ava’s wobbly legs lifting her to aching feet with a painful groan.

A bloody red light flooded her vision, and it was as if even the shadows themselves feared the terrifying gaze of the titan known as Lord Megatron. Steadily, she turned to face the newly unearthed titan, finally released from his stony prison.

Amber eyes widened and scanned upwards, a vertical panorama of the towering giant forming in her mind; good god, he was enormous. For a brief moment, her eyes settled on the purple insignia embellished across the middle of his chest – the very same motif burned into her waist.

_She glances up, weary eyes looking towards the abyss before her._

_And the abyss stared back._

* * *

Time slowed instantly. Neither the young woman nor the 4-story lord spoke a work to each other. The world fell silent.

_It’s you..._

30 years.

30 years, Ava had waited for this moment. To meet the one the universe had chosen for her. 13 of them were spent looking for him. And now here he was, knelt before her in all his glory, and she had nothing to say.

What could she say? Ava never really had an idea of what he’d look like. But even still, seeing that the “ _he”_ in question was an almost 40-foot-tall alien robot didn’t seem to phase her. At least, now it didn’t. The “why” that could’ve been asked, she did not utter.

Here, standing before this metal plated goliath, she was speechless. Shoulders dropped, tight jaw unclenched, and hardened eyes had softened. Ava didn’t know why she suddenly relaxed so much. It wasn’t the feeling expected from being in the presence of a giant.

It was the tranquil comfort of familiarity. The feeling Ava felt whilst resting in the arms of her mother in her youth, or the sound of her roommate’s melodic singing voice. That feeling.

But this wasn’t her mother’s house, nor her apartment in Vegas. So how, although only just meeting this man face-to-face, did he feel so familiar, as if she’d finally seen him again after years apart? As if he was an old friend or perhaps more?

It was strange, though not as strange as Megatron’s expression. The young woman didn’t even know beings made of metal could emote so well, but she was proved wrong yet again. His previously scowling brow and narrowed eyes loosened, brows raising and eyes widening ever so slightly. Megatron likely came to the same conclusion she just did, prompting his eyes to narrow again.

But he wasn’t baring his teeth or scowling like he did with Starscream and that boy. There was a question on the giant’s mind, manifesting across his face in an odd expression. However, he just stared quietly, not saying a word to the woman.

Ava would try opening her mouth to speak-

**_“Andromeda.”_ **

-only to be interrupted by the disembodied voice again.

Ava blinked. Her eyes had turned dry and itchy. _How long did I have my eyes open?_ Falling out of her thoughts, the young woman remembered where she was and what she was doing here. Having fulfilled her command to free Megatron, her mark called out to her again with a new task.

**_“Run.”_ **

The woman did not bother waiting for an explanation; she wasn’t going to get one. Looking behind her, she made her intent known as she looked back at Megatron again for a split second before darting off in that direction. Her mark began to glow.

And Megatron began to move.

The sound of creaking metal and falling rock echoed behind her. He was heading in her direction. But even still, she remained unusually calm as she made haste through the cold mine shaft.

**_“Wait.”_ **

Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, the voice issued another command. The woman stopped and turned around, finding Megatron moving through the cramped pathway. _He’s following me._

**_“Run.”_ **

And again, she continued on, sprinting down the hall to her left. The ceiling was still falling in some areas, causing her to slow and move about more meticulously. Last thing she needed was a concussion. Or death by falling rock.

This went on for several turns. But the sound of shrill, strained squeals made her stop. Someone was up ahead. Turning the final corner, she’d find the source – Starscream. From the looks of it, he was holding up the ceiling. Or, at least trying to.

Ava could hear the creaks and groans of his thin metal legs from the weight; poor thing, his arms were about to give out. He was not built for this kind of work. _But there is someone here who is._

As much as his treachery obviously put him in bad books with Megatron, leading him here could lighten the load a little. _That is, if Starscream doesn’t sign his death wish. He needs Megatron’s help right now._

Fortunately, the larger giant was still moving towards her direction. Picking up a rock, she chucked it towards the opening to her section of the tunnel. Hopefully, that’d be enough to grab Megatron’s attention.

When his movements fell silent, she supposed he got the message. Another metallic groan reverberated through the tunnel and more rocks fell, meaning the giant had begun moving again. He was practically displacing the whole cave system in his wake.

Ava would have been impressed if she weren’t so concerned with her escape. She was about to be stuck between a collapsing roof and a giant with a mean streak. Back pressed against the wall, Ava scanned the area for any signs of a way out.

**_“There.”_ **

Eyes trailed towards a conveniently sized hole in the rock face, just big enough for her to crawl through. _Well, hallelujah._ Quickly but carefully, she made her way to the opening and hoisted herself up into it - just in time for Megatron to make his appearance before Starscream. Ava couldn’t make out the ensuing exchange between them, but the woman wasn’t interested anyways. She just needed to get as far away as possible.

Once out of her escape tunnel, she sprinted down the tunnel halls until she found light. It was a small opening compared to the main entrance, but that last victory lap to freedom felt no less amazing. That surge of adrenaline kept her moving despite tired and sore legs.

Exiting the mine wasn’t enough to slow her down. Ava kept running until she hit the forest, hiding behind a tree. Finally, she could breathe in fresh air and relax. But her nose suddenly felt stuffed and red. Allergies?

Fortunately, it wasn’t that. But tears were indeed flowing from her eyes like waterfalls. The stress hit full force, and all the emotions she had choked back came flooding out of her. At the very least, all this water cleared out her passages and allowed her to breathe clearer.

Though she lost her backpack and its contents, Ava wasn’t hard pressed to go back and look for it. It was probably destroyed anyways. The sun had begun to set, so she couldn’t stay here. Those giants wouldn’t be stuck in that cave forever and there was no way she’d stick around to watch them leave.

The woman made haste back to her truck, sinking into its soft leather seats before driving off. She could finally go home.

The next hour or so went by quickly, the woman’s mind racing with questions and a newfound understanding of the world. Humans were not alone on this planet, and if that young boy was any proof, some already knew that quite well.

The lights of Vegas shone on the horizon as the day drew to a close. Ava always hated the city, but the lights were always a pleasant distraction from the drunken debauchery of its citizens. She parked her truck in her usual spot, legs heavy as she trudged up the stairs to her apartment.

Her roommates were watching some obscure show, she couldn’t care less. The young woman was dirty and covered in bruises, so her first priority was a nice long shower and a change of clothes. Finally, off her feet and under the sheets of her futon. She took in another deep breath, sinking into her resting place and drifting off to sleep.

It’d been a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opia
> 
> n. the ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable—their pupils glittering, bottomless and opaque—as if you were peering through a hole in the door of a house, able to tell that there’s someone standing there, but unable to tell if you’re looking in or looking out.


	4. Inside Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at Megatron's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "These events take place during the episode Partners. Sorry this took so long, I've been surprisingly busy these days and ended up rewriting this like 5 times. But I hope it was worth the wait" - Crimson

The Decepticon warship Nemesis was busy as usual. Armada drones discussing the latest operations, miners prepping equipment for transport, and warrior drones roaming the halls to their next security post. Everything seemed to function as usual.

And yet, the air around the warship was uncharacteristically frigid, even for beings such as these who were used to the chill of space itself. The mood of their leader always left a noticeable impact upon the ship’s crew, strong enough that even the ship itself would react to it. Lord Megatron was particularly irritable this morning, and the latest news of Starscream’s incompetence, courtesy of Airachnid, only antagonized the situation further.

As expected, his first lieutenant seeker would grovel to save his hide, and as expected, the sharp witted Airachnid would provoke him with a response. In truth, Megatron couldn’t have cared less about the weapon prototype the Harbinger had, and he especially didn’t care about whatever rivalry these two had going on.

He had other more pressing matters on his mind, one of which having wormed its way into a prioritized position somehow. So, the sooner he could send these squabbling protoforms away, the better. Perhaps with these two gone, he could finally make some progress of his own.

Megatron groaned within himself. That itch beneath his left arm’s underplating had returned again, as it had done for several days now. It was a persistent pain radiating from the same place. It had started appearing at random points in the day, from when his mining drones reported their finds to when he was powering down in his chambers.

But it had never been this bad, or this consistent, before. Even so, that same spot ached like a phantom pain on and off ever since that excursion to the mine shaft. Something triggered this reaction, and it wasn’t a mystery as to what it was.

It left a bad taste in his intake. For eons, his mark lay dormant with no changes. But it took this trip to Earth to finally receive a message from his spark, only for it to be vague and difficult to make out.

And yet, as he stared into the golden optics of that human female from the mine, his mark lit aflame in a way that felt all too familiar. Megatron had only known optics like those once in his lifetime. They were calm, tranquil but unrelenting, and bore into his hull with each passing second. But though a distant memory, it clung to him tight like his Decepticon shield.

Megatron would not allow this to eat at him any further if he could help it.

His unease was bound to be obvious to his underlings, though they wouldn’t dare speak a word of it to his face. The warlord cursed himself. That woman had something to do with this pain in his mark, but if that fact were to circulate through the ship, rumors and dissention would be inevitable. There was only one way to fix this.

_“Soundwave. Report to the bridge immediately.”_

The silent specter Soundwave did not take long to appear before his lord and master, as was his custom. He would acknowledge the call with a nod, awaiting his orders.

_“Have Knockout prepare a cortical psychic patch,”_ the warlord commanded. _“I need you to find someone for me.”_

* * *

Another sleepless night.

Through her tossing and turning, Ava could barely manage even a couple hours of sleep these days. Most of the time, she’d lay there in silence, letting the darkness of the room flood her vision. When she finally did manage to sleep, the strangeness of her dreams would just wake her up again.

Ever since that incident in the mine shaft, since her introduction to Megatron, her sleep suffered as did her health. But though weary, she could not shut her eyes for more than an hour at a time. Whenever it was dark, she could hear the giant’s voice in her thoughts, and his powerful gaze on her neck.

Getting out of her futon became more of a chore as the days went by; her whole body ached, even now. Landing on solid rock and running on limited oxygen wasn’t something she was used to. But the nice, cool hardwood beneath her feet was a nice reward for her efforts.

Ava sighed, scanning the room with tired eyes. The silhouettes of clothes that didn’t quite make it into her armoire, and books she had yet to read, littered the floor. A mess she’d have to tackle later. Right now, she was still powering up, so to speak, wiping a hand across her face.

A soft jingle from her charging cellphone caught her attention. The woman picked it up to inspect it. There was an alert from her calendar, reminding her to get ready for work. _I have the week off… I’ll change that later_. _What time is it anyways?_

12:47 PM

Narrowed eyes scrutinized the clock. It was still dark in here, but it was already noon? Turning to the window beside her, she’d pull back the curtains-

“…?!”

-then immediately shut them again and rub her eyes. _Right. Blackout curtains._ After nearly being blinded by the raging sun, Ava opened the curtains a little gentler this time, keeping her eyes shielded.

Outside her window, she could see the car and foot traffic of lunch rush. But here, in her 2-bedroom apartment, it was oddly quiet. Either that, or she had just grown so accustomed to the noise that she could tune it out.

However, the silence she usually enjoyed made her uneasy today. It was eerily similar to the stifling atmosphere of the mine, goose bumps riddling her arms at the very thought of it. But she was home now, and safe, so those intrusive thoughts could be pushed to the back of her mind for now. Perhaps a nice cold shower was just what she needed for her sore body, and her tired mind.

Now clean and refreshed, Ava wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the shower. Her long dark hair settled for being hung low in a messy bun today, loose strands sticking out here and there. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it was clean. She took one last look in the mirror.

**_“Andromeda.”_ **

She froze. Bloody red eyes stared at her from where her reflection should have been, an unfiltered blaze of scarlet light consuming the space around her. She knew those eyes, and she knew that voice.

They were **_his._**

Ava quickly took a step back, hitting the towel rack behind her, it clattering to the ground as she slipped on the wet floor. Though she landed hard, she couldn’t take her wide eyes away from the mirror.

Before she could say a word, her thoughts were interrupted by a loud ringing. Someone was calling her cell. She turned to face the washroom door for barely a second before turning back to the mirror…

…only to find it empty. She moved closer to inspect, gently, tentatively, pressing her fingers against the smooth glass. There was no Megatron here. Just her frightened visage. _He was never there._ Relieved, the woman finally let out the breath she had been holding in. _But I swear I heard him._

Choosing not to linger here, Ava scrambled out of the washroom and into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her a little harder than she intended. With her back against the door, she slid downwards and sat there a moment, cradling her head in her knees.

A flurry of emotions, causing her heart to pound in her skull, was taking a bit longer to subside this time. Back in the mine, after she had rescued Megatron from his entrapment and looked him in the eyes, she felt an otherworldly calmness. But now, whenever she thought of him, she freaked out.

It didn’t matter now; he wasn’t actually here. Maybe if he were, the reaction would be different, but she was in no way interested in another encounter right now. That phone call had brought her back to the present, the here and now. And right now, she needed to get dressed. Megatron or no Megatron, trapsing about without clothes was not her idea of a pleasant afternoon.

There were plenty of clothes on the floor for her to choose from, so she threw together whatever she could find to make a halfway decent outfit. While it wasn’t Instagram worthy, at least she could step out of her room comfortably.

The living room was empty today. Her roommates were already away, either at work or otherwise. So, for now, Ava had the place to herself. This wasn’t usually a problem; Ava liked being alone. But the walls of her apartment felt smaller, more compacted. Like at any moment, they would collapse in on themselves. And that vision of the giant in her mirror was enough to put her on edge. Even going into the kitchen to make something to eat was difficult.

 _I need to get my mind off of this_ , Ava lamented, head in her hands.

Her phone rang again, as if on cue. She’d pick it up, a familiar number flashing across the screen. It was Sirena Galanis, a longtime friend of hers. Ava debated whether she wanted to answer it. Was she really in the mood to talk on the phone today?

Thumb hovering over the green button, she listened to the receiver ring once, twice, three times. Finally, she dragged the button upwards to answer the call and did her best to put on a not-so-tired voice. “Hello?”

The sweetest _“Hello, my friend”_ Ava had heard in a while greeted her in return.

“Hey, sorry, I was in the shower when you called the first time.”

 _“Oh! Not a problem, kali mou. I’m just glad to hear from you!”_ Sirena was always so nice to talk to, her voice was pleasant on the ears. _“I was just calling to see if you were alright. Nelly told me you haven’t been sleeping well.”_

 _Ah, of course she did._ “Just a rough night, is all.”

_“Hm… Forgive me for saying so, but It doesn’t sound like just one night, Ava. Have you tried the melatonin drops yet?”_

“Yeah, but they aren’t working for me.”

 _“Oh no… I’m sorry to hear that.”_ Ava could almost hear the girl’s face fall and was starting to regret this conversation. _“W-well, maybe we can try something else. Your scar is not still hurting, is it?”_

“…Just a little.”

A pause. This was the part Ava hated most: telling people what was wrong with her. Being even mildly fussed over by her friends was painful. It wasn’t pride really; she just didn’t want to be a burden. “It’s alright, though. I’m taking a week off of work to recover.”

That answer seemed to satisfy Sirena, prompting an _“If you’re sure”_ in response. _“You will let me know if there’s anything I can do, yes?”_

Her response clicked something into place in Ava’s mind. Back in high school, of the few friends she had, Sirena was the only one she could really speak to about her mark. Besides herself, her young friend was the only one still looking for their respective partner with the same fervor from back then. _Maybe…_

“Actually…”

_“Yes?”_

“Do you mind if I stop by today? If that’s not a problem.” Regardless of how she may have felt about asking for help, Ava at least needed someone to talk to. Situations like these, although rare, required a soft touch more than bottling it up, which was her typical response.

_“O-oh! Of course! You may stop by whenever you’d like.”_

“Thanks. I’ll head that way in a few.”

_“Anytime, my friend. Safe travels!”_

With a click, the call was over, and the room fell silent again. There Ava would remain for a short time, staring at the device in her hands. _What an interesting coincidence_ , she mused. Until now, the woman hadn’t considered going to Sirena about this until she called…

…which was conveniently when that vision appeared earlier.

“You’re playing me, aren’t you,” Ava challenged aloud. She wasn’t expecting an answer, and it wasn’t like that “voice” was keen on responding when questioned either. Regardless, it was time to leave again. _I wonder if Sirena hears voices, too._

Making her way down the stairs of the parking garage to her truck yet again didn’t feel so terrible this go ‘round. Perhaps it was because it wasn’t at the behest of her mark. This time, Ava was leaving because she wanted to. And even if the mark played some silent part in all this, she wasn’t of the mind to care.

Daring to look into her sunshade mirror, the woman took note of her dark eye bags and incoming grey hairs. The stress was noticeable, and Ava wasn’t the type to wear makeup, so she’d just grin and bear it for now. All through the drive, the weary woman would cycle through every question her sympathetic friend could possibly ask, being sure to limit the little white lies and fabrications to nil wherever she could.

* * *

Arriving in Jasper, Nevada wasn’t exactly a party like Las Vegas was. It was smaller, thinly spread out rather than built upwards, and the populace was limited. But that was most likely her city perspective talking. To the citizens of this small town, the mom-and-pop retail and lack of bright lights was probably more their speed. It meant less tourist traffic, which was a boon in Ava’s mind.

It was quiet here. But a comforting kind of quiet, endearing even. To Ava, who’d lived in the city most of her life, this place seemed like the perfect get away from most everything. It was simple, and Ava didn’t require much to live comfortably. Her younger friend had picked a pretty nice place to settle.

Sirena’s place was quaint, with a one-car garage and well-maintained front yard, flower arrangements and ferns all around. It was obviously a result of her labors, as her yard certainly stood out in comparison to the others around her. And there on the front porch was Sirena, a cup in her hands and a smile on her face as she waved a greeting. _“Hello over there! Come in, come! I made tea!”_

Walking into her home was just as lovely as walking through her yard. Thin, airy drapes frame the windows, and potted plants hung from the ceiling. The whole place was, figuratively and literally, a breath of fresh air. After taking off her shoes, Ava took a seat in a woven chair, Sirena pouring her something sweet to drink.

_“So, how are you feeling, Ava mou? You do not look well, if I may say so,”_ the young woman mentioned.

“Yeah, I’m just… not at my best.” But what even was her best, Ava had no clue. For as long as she could remember, the 30-year-old had always been tired and barely hanging on. However, if they were to talk about her struggles, they’d be here all day. “…How’s your search going?”

The younger’s mouth curved into a smile as she lowered her glazed cup from her lips. _“No luck, but I am certainly close. Sometimes, you can just feel it.”_

“…Right.”

 _“But I could ask the same of you! You have been looking far longer than I.”_ Her eyes, a softer shade of blue, gleamed in interest. _“Surely, there must be something by now.”_

“That’s… kind of why I’m here,” Ava started. Her side twinged ever so slightly, a silent reminder of the situation she must now explain. Though she meant well, it was unlikely Sirena would understand or even believe that her friend’s intended was a giant intergalactic warlord made of metal. “I… met him recently.”

Sirena’s mouth fell agape, followed by the biggest grin she could comfortably fit on her face. _“Aha! I knew it!”_ she exclaimed. _“I knew you would meet him someday! Oh, what is he like? Can you tell me?”_

Ava chuckled. Of course, she would be excited over this kind of thing. She had been a part of this journey for some time now, and to finally see progress was bound to please her. “Where do I start?”

_“Well, what is his name?”_

The woman defaulted back to her hypothetical scenarios from the road trip. Technically, he never told her his name. She heard someone else say it. So, saying “he didn’t say” wasn’t a lie.

_“I see. Well, where is he from?”_

_Again, he didn’t say._ “Not sure.”

_“His height?”_

_3-4 times the size of your house_. “…Tall.”

_“What does he look like?”_

“…Intimidating.”

Sirena let the first few answers sink in before asking the next question, settling on _“I mean, is he attractive?”_

The older woman cocked a brow, looking into her teacup. “…Define attractive.”

_“Eh, well… cover of a magazine maybe?”_

“Oh, he’d make headlines alright,” she thought to herself. However, the younger one’s head tilt confirmed that she did, in fact, say that out loud, Ava grimacing. She would need to weigh her next answer carefully, lest she paint a strange picture in the poor girl’s mind. But it wasn’t like she was lying. Not really.

_“W-well, um, how did you meet each other?”_

It was easier to describe this character than tell the story, Ava found, and looked off to the side as she thought it through. The way she remembered it, her mark led her to a mine shaft where she encountered giant metal people from outer space that tried to kill each other, an altercation Ava had barely escaped from with her life in tow.

But Ava wouldn’t venture to share that bit of information.

_Absolutely not._

This story would need to be watered down just enough as to not raise any suspicions. Or at least, not give away the true nature of this encounter. If it only sounded dangerous from a human perspective, that was one thing. Mentioning aliens was a whole ‘nother ball game. _Let’s give this one a shot._

“Well, um, a few days ago, I took a trip out of town. Had some things on my mind,” she began to explain, trying to sound confident in her storytelling ability. “I bumped into him on my way, he was with a friend.” _If I can even call him a friend; Megatron almost killed that guy. Starscream, I think was his name._ “He didn’t know the area well enough and got stuck, so I helped him out.”

Her listener took in the information attentively. For the most part, Sirena didn’t say a word, save for the occasional question. Queries about the whereabouts of the “friend,” the temperament of the “guy,” and so on. _“I think it was wonderful that you were able to help him, you’re so nice for doing that.”_ She commended Ava with a smile, though Ava was just glad her friend ran with this version of the story. _“So, I take it you got a chance to talk with him, yes?”_

Silence.

 _Now that I think about it, he didn’t say a word to me._ As she remembered more of the situation, Megatron proved to be rather talkative with Starscream. But when he saw Ava for the first time, he had nothing to say, or at least he chose not to speak. “N-no, actually…” she’d say, looking down again. “We didn’t talk.”

Her companion gave a knowing “ah” that hung in the air for a few seconds, followed by a pregnant pause. “My father used to tell me that, when you don’t know what to say, it’s better to say nothing than say anything. Maybe he just… didn’t know what to say. This was his first time meeting you, yes?”

That’s true, it was their first introduction. But Megatron didn’t look the type to care about first impressions. He seemed to have no problem speaking his mind, which was evident with how he spoke to Starscream. Then again, he probably wasn’t expecting his partner to be a human, just as Ava wasn’t expecting her partner to be a robot.

She figured her partner would have simply copied the symbol from those ancient carvings, in the same way one would use phoenixes or caduceus staves. Not actually be the one wearing it. Ava became lost in the ramifications of it all, slowly realizing her friend was staring at her.

Right, Sirena had asked a question. “Y-yes, we’d only just met,” she eventually murmured.

Her friend, possibly having noticed the vague nature of her responses, rested her hands in her lap and tilted her head again. “Do… do you not like him?” A straightforward, personal question this time. If she didn’t like who the universe had in mind for her, that would explain why Ava wasn’t speaking straight out.

Truth is, Ava didn’t really have a reason to like her soulmate.

Megatron was aggressive and demanding. Every word he spoke was laced in venom. Even his walk conveyed feelings of self-importance she just didn’t think possible in someone. With that first impression added to 23+ years of torturous pains, she had already learned everything she needed to know about this man. Quite frankly, he was terrible, and was exactly the kind of individual she’d expect to cause her so much pain.

But before she could give her answer, a memory bubbled up to the surface. His mighty form vulnerable and motionless. The crimson glow of his eyes chasing away the darkness. The way they regarded her passively, dilating and flexing repeatedly.

Saying that they never spoke to each other was the only real lie Ava had actually told, for it was their eyes that were holding the conversation. And although she couldn’t quite make out the true message of his expression, he obviously had a lot to say.

Because he stared. For a long time.

“I… don’t know,” was all she could say in response.

Sirena took in the distressed air of her friend’s atmosphere. She looked so tired, dark circles deeper than normal, skin paler than normal; her whole being painted quite the depressing picture. After nearly 20 years of work and overthinking, Ava desperately needed to relax. There was a moment of quiet while Sirena thought to herself. Finally, the silence was broken.

_“Ava…?”_

“…Yes?”

_“Would you… like to take a walk with me?”_

A simple request. Just a walk around the area. She didn’t say why, she didn’t need to. Ava knew what she was trying to do for her. “…Yeah.”

Sirena stood up from her seat, her friend following suit. Not a word was spoken as they both put their respective shoes on their feet and stepped out of the door, the warm summer breeze flowing through their hair. The younger one would graciously lead the way down her usual route, waving at the passersby every now and then.

Just as she thought, this place was endearing. It was simple and relaxed yet busy in its own way. Small businesses lined the streets, advertising their products on chalk boards and mildly worn banisters. The sound of cars whizzing by and the rumble of heavy machinery alerted her to road work being done. This place had its own hustle and bustle not unlike that of the city but considerably quieter.

Maybe that’s why Sirena liked it here. The air was relaxed, everyone knew everyone, and the skies were wide and clear. Simple, and yet so complicated. In the city, you ran on autopilot to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible without getting sidetracked. Here, Ava could take her time and breathe. Even the mundane seemed fairly pleasurable here.

After walking some distance, the pair would pass the entrance to Jasper High, the resident high school here, filled with students just ending classes for the day. This new generation of students milling about in her peripheral were probably just receiving their marks by now, she mused.

Though Ava’s eyes zeroed in on what looked like two teenage boys hassling each other. A raven-haired kid, with two younger looking children behind him, and a taller redhead with a bad attitude.

Ah yes, high school, when kids had to buckle down on their work if they wanted any hope of going to college, and also when they started posturing like birds, puffing up their feathers. School was no different than a zoo; that much hadn’t changed.

Sirena noticed her friend watching the altercation with interest, turning to look at it as well. The situation seemed to get a little heated, however, and right about now was usually when a teacher was needed to break this up. _“Looks like those boys are having a fight,”_ she noted, standing up on her toes to get a better look over the crowd. _“Heehee, do you remember, back in high school, how Nelly always got into big fights? You always had to break them up.”_ She’d glance back to see her friend’s reaction.

Only, Ava was suddenly not next to her anymore. In reality, she had already made headway across the parking lot to the bottom of the school’s front steps. Sirena quickly rushed to follow after her. _“A-Ava? Ava, where are you going?”_

The stone-faced woman didn’t respond, continuing up the stairs to the bickering children and pulling them away from one another. “Alright, that’s enough, you two. Break it up,” she grumbled and stood between them.

 _“Hey, back off lady!”_ The redhead countered, and Sirena’s eyes went wide, giving them a wide berth and moving the other two children behind her. Almost like a bomb was about to go off. There was a reason Ava was able to break up their rambunctious friend’s fights every time in high school.

The woman locked onto the disrespectful child with an ice-cold glower, the boy shrinking back. “It’s _because_ I’m a lady that I’m choosing not to knock some sense into you. Now, _beat it_.”

The redhead looked between the woman and the dark-haired kid, sucking his teeth, and backing off. _“This isn’t over, **Darby.”**_

“ ** _Beat it_** ,” Ava reiterated, the kid stomping off to his flashy muscle car. Sirena sighed heavily, hand over her heart, simply glad that her friend had cooled considerably after so many years. If this were high school days Ava, that kid might not have gotten away scot-free.

A gentle tap at her shoulder caught her attention. It was the dark-haired kid. _“Th-thanks for that,”_ he’d say, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward smile. Now that she could see him up close, this boy was awfully plain, nothing particularly noteworthy about him. Nevertheless, he was eerily similar in appearance to the boy from the mine. From the jeans to his haircut, to even his voice.

 _“Yeah! That was suh-weet!”_ A girl in gaudy clothes and rebellious hair cheered, moving from behind Sirena. _“But you should’ve totally laid the smackdown on him!”_

She was followed by a smaller boy, with red-rimmed glasses and clothes just a little too big for him; he was a cute little thing. _“Th-thanks for stepping in.”_

“You’re… welcome,” Ava hesitated, turning back to the “Darby” kid again. Something about this kid didn’t inspire any desire to linger. If he really was that kid, the giantess he had come with was likely not far away, and she had had enough of giant robots for a while. So, she simply walked away from them.

Her friend wasn’t far behind, having said a proper goodbye to the children before chasing after Ava, who had put serious distance between herself and the school by the time she caught up. “Ava, wait up!”

The woman stopped in her tracks, having not realized how fast she was walking. That same feeling she felt in her apartment was creeping back into her head, minus the voices and hallucinations. It was probably time to go home now. But she really didn’t want to drive that stretch of highway again.

“It was nice of you to stand up for those kids, you know, but you seem even more exhausted than before we left… Maybe this walk wasn’t such a good idea,” Sirena suggested, eyes downcast. She had only wanted to help, but it only seemed to make her feel worse.

“No, it’s fine… That kid just reminded me of someone, is all.” All this beating around the bush was the real reason for her exhaustion. As much a she wanted to explain what was really going on, Ava was aware of how dangerous that would be for her. And if Sirena were to know, it wouldn’t be long before her other friends found out. “But, um… you don’t mind if we head back, do you? I don’t want to ruin your walk…”

 _“Nonsense. You are my guest, and I want to make sure you are okay.”_ The girl replied, gently ushering her back to the house. Once they’d settled in again, Sirena having set her weary companion by the window for some fresh air, she made a proposition Ava couldn’t really refuse.

 _“If you want, I can call Fei and see if she can bring some things for you,”_ she’d say, _“I just wouldn’t feel right, letting you drive home like this.”_ When she didn’t hear a response, the young woman stepped closer to inspect, only to find Ava passed out in her chair, head resting in her arms. Sirena smiled and wrapped a soft blanket over her.

_“Sweet dreams, my friend.”_

* * *

_The sky painted in azure and vermillion haze._

_Cirrus veils the starry heavens._

_The depths of a bottomless abyss stained in midnight._

_He gazes heavenwards, piercing eyes staring into the skies above._

_And the sky stared back._

**_“Megatronus…”_ **

_“My lord Megatron?”_

A voice, smooth as wine, beckoned him out of his slumber. _“My lord,”_ it said, _“the patch was a success. Soundwave was able to gather the information you requested.”_

Megatron lifts from the medical berth, heavy stabilizers tread the ground as they carried his impressive weight across the room. Awaiting him at the door was Soundwave, an image displayed on his visor. It was a still image of that she-human, plucked from the shores of his memory. The specter awaited his orders.

_“Soundwave… **Find this human and bring them to me**.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I have a special treat for the next chapter, so stay tuned.


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